Is specialised WordPress hosting worth it?

As WordPress is now used by most website operators, alongside classic web hosting packages you will increasingly find specialised WordPress hosting offers on the market. But is using WordPress hosting really worthwhile for your own website, or is conventional hosting sufficient? We will answer this question for you in the following article.

Why is WordPress so popular?

Most users rely on the WordPress content management system to create their own website. The open-source software is not only free to use, it also impresses with its ease of use and wide range of applications. Whether as a personal blog, a company website or an online shop, WordPress can be extended and customised almost without limits using themes and plugins.

According to current statistics from w3techs, WordPress is used by almost 60 per cent of all websites that employ a content management system. Overall, this corresponds to over 25 per cent of all websites accessible on the internet. Such widespread use has prompted many hosting providers to offer, alongside traditional web hosting packages, specialised WordPress hosting.

WordPress is popular for several reasons:

• User-friendliness: WordPress is known for its user-friendliness and intuitive interface. With minimal technical know-how, users can create new pages, publish blog posts, insert images and videos and much more. This makes it possible to manage content quickly and efficiently.
• SEO-friendliness: WordPress was developed with search engine optimisation (SEO) in mind. It uses high coding standards and generates clean, semantic code that is easy for search engines to read. In addition, there are numerous SEO plugins such as Yoast SEO that help you optimise your website for search engines.
• Customisability: WordPress is extremely flexible and customisable. There are thousands of themes and plugins that make it possible to change the design and functionality of a WordPress website without requiring programming skills. This enables a website to be tailored to specific use cases.
• Integrability: WordPress can be easily integrated with a wide range of other tools and platforms, including social media platforms, email marketing services, CRM systems and more. This means that, for example, marketing activities can be centrally managed across multiple platforms.
• Community and support: As WordPress is open-source, it has a large and active community. If you encounter a problem or need help, there are numerous forums, blogs, tutorials and other resources to assist you.
• Scalability: WordPress is highly scalable, meaning it can grow with the business. You can start with a small website and expand it as required, without having to change platforms.
• Security: With the right security measures and regular updates, WordPress is a very secure platform for web projects of all kinds.

What are the requirements for WordPress?

As a content management system, WordPress places certain requirements on web hosting in order to function smoothly. For example, a MySQL database is required and scripting language support for PHP is expected. Sufficient storage space must also be available. You can read the exact requirements in more detail in our WordPress web hosting comparison.

The requirements for WordPress are nowadays met by almost every web hosting package. In addition, the content management system can be installed directly on the web space by most providers via the control panel, without having to upload and configure the files via FTP yourself.

What advantages does specialised WordPress web hosting offer?

Providers of WordPress web hosting offer their customers additional premium features alongside the hosting itself. As a result, the monthly WordPress web hosting costs for such packages are generally higher than for basic web hosting packages. Common features include the following:

More comprehensive customer support

One of the main reasons to choose specialised WordPress web hosting is the more extensive support offering. While customer support at regular hosts is typically limited to access to the web space, providers of WordPress hosting also answer specific questions about WordPress, including various themes and plugins. Customers therefore always have a knowledgeable contact to turn to in case of problems or questions. WordPress hosting plans are equipped with special security features that make your site safer against online attacks. Measures such as automatic updates, a hardware firewall, brute-force protection and daily scans for malicious code and vulnerabilities provide increased security.

Improved performance

WordPress hosting is typically deployed on a VPS (Virtual Private Server) or a cloud server, whose system resources are dedicated exclusively to the customer. Unlike conventional hosting packages, which are usually hosted on a shared server, customers here can make use of the full hardware resources. This ensures sufficient performance is always available to handle even unexpected traffic spikes to your website. In addition, the server systems are optimised for running WordPress.

Automatic backups

In the event of a problem with your website, various backups are available from WordPress hosting providers that can be restored if necessary. The backups are created and stored automatically, so the customer does not need to take care of them. Especially with content management systems such as WordPress, creating backups is often more complex, because you need to secure not only the website's files but also the database entries.

Additional developer environment

Another advantage of specialised WordPress hosting is an additional developer environment. This is a mirrored version of your website that can be used to test changes and updates without affecting the live site. Only once tests in the developer environment have been completed without issues can they be applied to the live version with confidence.

What other advantages does Managed WordPress web hosting offer?

A Managed WordPress web hosting service is a specialised offering in which the web host takes care of all technical aspects of a WordPress website, including security, performance, updates and backups, so you can concentrate on the content and growth of your website.

You can expect the following from Managed WordPress hosting:

• Automatic updates: With Managed WordPress hosting, WordPress updates are applied automatically. That means you don't have to worry about missing the latest security patches or features.
• Security: Managed WordPress hosting providers place special emphasis on security. They often offer advanced security features such as malware scans and removal, firewall settings and DDoS protection. This minimises the risk of your website being hacked and helps keep your data secure.
• Performance: Managed WordPress hosting often provides server-side caching optimised for WordPress. This means your website loads faster, which can lead to a better user experience and higher search engine rankings.
• Scalability: The Managed WordPress hosting provider enables easy scalability. If your traffic grows, you can easily upgrade to a more powerful plan. Some providers even offer automatic scaling during traffic spikes to ensure your website runs smoothly at all times.

Managed WordPress hosting may be more expensive than conventional WordPress hosting, but the additional features can be worth the higher price, especially if you don't have the time or technical skills to manage your website yourself.

Is it worth using a specialised WordPress web hosting service?

In summary, it depends on your individual requirements and the planned website. In principle, WordPress can be run on any web hosting package that meets the requirements of the content management system (CMS). If you want to start a small personal blog, you do not necessarily need to opt for expensive WordPress hosting; you can also run the project on an affordable web hosting package. However, if you are planning a more extensive commercial web project and want to benefit from premium features such as enhanced security, increased support and improved performance, then using a specialised WordPress hosting or Managed WordPress hosting can be worthwhile.